Quick answer
Buy a Nintendo Switch Lite if you want modern games — new releases, online play and the current Nintendo catalogue. Buy a retro handheld if you want the classics, because it costs roughly a fifth as much and arrives with tens of thousands of older games already on the card and nothing further to pay.
- Switch Lite price: launched at £199.99 in 2019, typically around £150 new in the UK in 2026
- R36S price: £34.39, with 40,000+ games across 20+ systems included
- Ongoing cost: Switch games are typically £40–£60 each, plus £17.99 a year for Nintendo Switch Online; the R36S has none
- Screen: 5.5" 1280×720 LCD vs 3.5" 640×480 IPS
- Best for kids: the retro handheld — no internet, no store, no chat
These two devices look like rivals and are not really competing. A Nintendo Switch Lite is a modern console for modern games; a retro handheld such as the GameBro R36S is a library of 1980s to early-2000s classics that happens to fit in a pocket. The honest answer for most UK buyers is that the right choice depends entirely on which of those two things you actually want — and that buying both still costs less than a Switch Lite plus three games.
Here is the full comparison: price, library, screen, battery, portability, kids, gifting and five-year running cost.
How do they compare head to head?
| Nintendo Switch Lite | GameBro R36S | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical UK price | Around £150 new | £34.39 |
| Screen | 5.5" LCD, 1280×720 | 3.5" IPS, 640×480 |
| Battery | Nintendo quotes more than six hours, varying by game | 3500 mAh, 6+ hours |
| Games included | None | 40,000+ across 20+ systems |
| New releases | Yes, bought individually | No |
| Retro classics | Via Nintendo Switch Online subscription | Included on the card, no subscription |
| Online play and store | Yes | No — no WiFi or Bluetooth |
| TV output | No, handheld only | No |
| Controls | Built-in, two analogue sticks | D-pad plus two analogue sticks |
| Bought from GameBro | — | UK stock, 12-month warranty, 30-day returns |
How much does each one cost in the UK?
The Switch Lite launched in the UK at £199.99 in September 2019. In 2026 it is widely available new for around £150, depending on colour and retailer, and cheaper again refurbished or second-hand. That price buys the console on its own: no games are included.
The R36S is £34.39 and includes the 128 GB card with its whole library already loaded. There is nothing else to buy, and GameBro ships it from UK stock with free delivery.
What can each one actually play?
The Switch Lite plays the modern Nintendo catalogue — current first-party releases and a large indie library — plus older NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Mega Drive titles through a Nintendo Switch Online membership. Those retro libraries are rented, not owned: access stops when the subscription does.
The R36S plays the classics outright. Its 128 GB card holds 40,000+ games across more than 20 systems, including PlayStation 1, SNES, NES, Game Boy Advance, Mega Drive, Neo Geo, Arcade, N64 and selected PSP and Dreamcast titles. It plays nothing from the Switch era, and no handheld at this price does.
One important caveat: it has no WiFi or Bluetooth, so there is no online play, no store and no downloads. For some buyers that is the drawback; for others it is the entire point.
Which has the better screen?
On paper the Switch Lite wins easily: 5.5 inches at 1280×720 against 3.5 inches at 640×480. For modern games with small text and detailed 3D, that gap matters a great deal.
For retro games it matters much less. The R36S panel is IPS, so colours stay accurate off-axis, and 640×480 is a clean whole-number multiple of most 8-bit and 16-bit resolutions — a Game Boy Advance picture scales into it exactly. Pixel art on a small, dense screen looks the way it did on the original hardware.
Which lasts longer on a charge?
They are closer than the price gap suggests. Nintendo quotes more than six hours for the Switch Lite, varying considerably by game — a demanding 3D title drains it far faster than a 2D one. The R36S runs 6+ hours from its 3500 mAh cell, and because 16-bit emulation barely taxes the chip, that figure is fairly consistent.
Both charge over USB-C from a phone charger. If battery is your deciding factor, our retro handheld battery life comparison covers the wider field.
Which is easier to carry?
The R36S, comfortably. Its vertical, Game Boy-style body is built around a 3.5" screen and slips into a coat pocket; the Switch Lite is a 5.5" widescreen device that realistically travels in a bag. If you want a console for a train commute or a jacket pocket, the smaller device wins on shape alone.
Which is better for kids?
For a younger child, the retro handheld is usually the easier decision. There is no internet connection, no store, no chat and no way to spend money, so there is nothing to supervise. It also costs a fraction as much, which changes how you feel when it is dropped on a paving slab.
For an older child who wants to play what their friends are playing, the Switch Lite is the honest answer — online multiplayer is the point. Our guide to the best retro handheld for kids goes through the age-by-age detail.
Which makes the better gift?
A retro handheld is the stronger surprise gift, because it works the moment it is unwrapped. There is no account to create, no download to wait for and no first purchase required — the recipient is playing within a minute, and the games are ones they already recognise. A Switch Lite given without a game is a console and a homework assignment.
It is also a gift you can give without knowing someone's taste, since the library spans everything. Our retro gaming gift guide has the full set of ideas by budget.
What does each really cost over five years?
This is where the two diverge most. The console price is the start of the Switch Lite's cost and the end of the R36S's.
| Cost over five years | Nintendo Switch Lite | GameBro R36S |
|---|---|---|
| Console | Around £150 | £34.39 |
| Ten games | Typically £40–£60 each new | Nothing — 40,000+ included |
| Online membership | £17.99 a year individual, £31.49 family | Nothing — no online features |
| Retro back catalogue | Included while the membership lasts | Owned outright on the card |
| Five-year total | Several hundred pounds with a modest library | The console price, once |
A Switch Lite with ten games and five years of an individual Nintendo Switch Online membership lands well into the hundreds. Buy games second-hand or stick to sales and it falls, but the shape of the curve does not change: one device keeps costing money and the other does not.
When is the Switch Lite the right choice?
Choose it if you want current releases, if online multiplayer with friends matters, if you want a bigger, sharper screen for 3D games, or if the person you are buying for has specifically asked for modern Nintendo titles. Nothing in the retro world substitutes for that.
When is a retro handheld the right choice?
Choose the R36S if the games you actually miss are from the 1990s, if you want a device that works out of the box with no account or subscription, if it is for a child who should not be online, or if you want a low-risk present that will not sit unused. Our full R36S review covers how it holds up day to day.
Is buying both the smart move?
For a lot of households, yes. The two libraries barely overlap: one covers what is new, the other covers what is old, and the retro handheld costs less than a single new Switch game. Keeping a small handheld in a coat pocket for the commute while the Switch Lite lives at home is a genuinely sensible split, and it means the classics are owned rather than rented.
If the bigger screen appeals but the price does not, the R36S Max steps up to a 4.0" display and an 8-hour battery while keeping the same library.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a retro handheld a good replacement for a Nintendo Switch Lite?
It is a replacement only if what you want is the back catalogue. A retro handheld plays thousands of classics from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, but it cannot play any modern Nintendo release, so it complements a Switch Lite more often than it replaces one.
Can the R36S play Nintendo Switch games?
No. The R36S emulates older consoles up to roughly the PlayStation 1 and Dreamcast era. Nothing from the Switch generation runs on it, and no handheld at this price can do that.
How much does a Nintendo Switch Lite cost in the UK now?
It launched at £199.99 in September 2019 and in 2026 UK retailers typically sell it new for around £150. Games and an online subscription are extra.
Do you need a subscription to play retro games on a Switch Lite?
Yes. The classic NES, SNES, Game Boy and Mega Drive libraries sit behind Nintendo Switch Online, which costs £17.99 a year for an individual or £31.49 a year for a family in the UK, and access ends when the membership does.
Which is better for a younger child?
A retro handheld is usually the safer first console for a young child: it has no internet connection, no store, no chat and no in-app purchases, and it costs far less if it gets dropped.
Does a retro handheld connect to a TV?
The R36S does not have HDMI output, so it is handheld only. The Switch Lite is also handheld only and cannot be docked, unlike the standard Nintendo Switch.
The verdict
If you want new games, buy the Switch Lite. If you want the old ones, a retro handheld gives you thousands of them for the price of a takeaway — and never asks for another penny.
Most people asking this question already know which era they miss. If the answer is the 1990s, the R36S at £34.39 is the cheapest sensible way back to it: a 3.5" IPS screen, dual analogue sticks, 6+ hours of battery and 40,000+ games on the card, shipped from UK stock with a 12-month warranty and 30-day returns.
GameBro is not affiliated with Nintendo; the Switch Lite figures above are for comparison only and come from Nintendo's own UK pricing and current retailer listings.
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